Upbeat
by spikala
Summary: Not everything has to be doom and gloom. A collection of drabbles, just for fun, set in the DC Animated Universe. Ficlet 6: Flash is troubled after a mission so Superman gets involved. ON HIATUS.
1. Upbeat

_Upbeat_

_After the Thanagarian invasion of "Starcrossed", Flash tries to get Batman to look on the bright side of things. _

* * *

In Wayne Manor, the Justice League was taking a much needed breather after saving the world, again. With the last of the Thanagarians gone, they finally had the chance to collapse into armchairs and partake of afternoon tea. Unfortunately, the refreshments provided by Alfred had the side-effect of rejuvenating Flash's motormouth.

Superman accepted another biscuit from the tray that Alfred was offering, and leant back into the sofa to watch the show down.

"Come on, Bats," Flash wheedled, gazing up at the stony visage. "Can't you be a bit more, you know, upbeat about the whole situation?"

Batman's glare would've dropped pigeons mid-air. "There's nothing to be upbeat about."

Flash frowned, not convinced. "We beat the bad guys, the Hawks are off the planet, we get a brand-spanking-new Watchtower, and the whole world loves us. What is there not to be upbeat about?"

"Aside for the part where I have to rebuild the front of my house?"

"Oh yeah…" Flash scratched his head, abashed, but he soon perked up again.

Superman grinned. Not even Batman at his most withering seemed to damage the speedster's cheery nature for long.

Flash zipped over where Batman was sitting, teacup in hand. "Come on," Flash wheedled. "One smile. Would it kill you?"

Batman's answer hung unspoken in the air and Flash's good-natured grin started to wilt.

"On second thought, I'll be in the Cave." Batman set aside his tea and got up to leave, but Flash zipped in front of him.

"Aww, c'mon Bats!"

"Excuse me." With a dramatic cape flourish, Batman stepped around Flash and was gone.

Superman smothered a chuckle as Flash threw himself down in an armchair in disgust. Batman's taciturn ways were never going to change; he did have a point though. Most of Earth's major cities were a mess after the Thanagarian occupation and the rebuild was going to take time.

Still, it could've been worse. A lot worse. Batman was still here for a start. So all in all, the Man of Steel considered that was a good enough reason to remain upbeat.

* * *

_Warner Brother Animation and DC own Justice League, not I. _

_Thanks to DarkWinter999 for beta-ing this ficlet._


	2. Jury Duty

_Jury Duty_

_Flash's alter-ego gets the call._

* * *

In the Watchtower, high above the Earth, the Justice League was facing an unprecedented situation.

"Jury duty? Jury duty! You've got to be kidding me!" Flash threw down the crumpled envelope in disgust. "There is no way I am doing jury duty."

Superman picked the letter off the floor and carefully smoothed away the wrinkles. "That's not very civic-minded of you," he remarked mildly. "However, in this instance I have to agree. I don't think that it would be appropriate for a member of the Justice League to be on a jury panel. That would be a serious conflict of interest."

Green Lantern chimed in, "unfortunately, explicitly stating why he can't serve isn't an option either. Flash, you can't be on a jury panel. What happens if something comes up when the court is in session? You can't just slip away."

"Okay, okay, I'll just decline then. Cite some reason or another."

"You would abandon your civic duties?" Wonder Woman demanded. "That would be subverting the very system of justice that we are sworn to uphold."

"We could create a distraction, or break something." Hawkgirl grinned suddenly, hefting her mace.

"Woah, hold up…" The speedster backed up as she started stalking towards him.

"There isn't really an alternative. Flash cannot serve on a jury panel," Batman remarked dryly. "But I think we can get him off without breaking anything."

"Exactly!" Flash nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"For one thing, jurors are expected to be mature and level headed," Batman continued.

Flash stopped nodding as Batman's words registered. "Hey! What are you trying to say?"

"Well, how are we going to get him out of it?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Oh wait!" Flash smacked his forehead. "I forgot - I can't serve on a jury panel. Not with my job. Law enforcement can't serve."

"You work with law enforcement?" Hawkgirl demanded.

Flash realised what he had just said, his expression becoming one of dismay. "Er. Forget I said that. No sweat guys, I've got this covered." He zipped off before anyone could ask any more awkward questions about his secret identity.

The remaining members of the Justice League were left standing in a circle staring at each other. Superman was still clutching the envelope that caused all that trouble.

"Flash... works for law enforcement." Green Lantern didn't sound pleased. "That goes a _long_ way towards explaining the state of the justice department."

Hawkgirl agreed. "Frightening. Truly frightening."

* * *

_Warner Brother Animation and DC own Justice League, not I._

_I'd love to find out what you think of the snippet, so if you've got time, why not drop me a quick review and make my day? :)  
_


	3. Escape

_Escape_

_Flash struggles with one of the more practical aspects of being a superhero.**  
**_

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Central City; sunny, with a breeze winding through the skyscrapers, and a few puffy white clouds sailing serenely through the air. The peaceful scene outside belied the battle that was happening in a non-descript brick apartment complex where Flash, a.k.a. Wally West, was deeply embroiled in his weekly struggle.

There were times when being a superhero with a secret identity and a nifty costume that appeared out of an inconspicuous ring was a right pain in the butt. The hardest part of having a costume, once you'd picked out a suitably cool one, Wally decided, wasn't the upkeep.

Sure, if he wasn't trying to sew up holes, he was surreptitiously purchasing yards and yards of red and gold fabric, or sewing the darn things by hand (sewing machines were just so slow!), or he was trying to launder an armful of the things in his apartment's laundry room without being busted by one of the other residents. But no, the hardest part about having a cool superhero costume was trying to get the darn thing back into the ring.

Wally huffed as he poked and prodded the unforgiving lump of red, heat-resistant fabric, trying to compress and mold it into a lump small enough to fit into the miniature compartment. As fast as he tried to compress the material, it stubbornly resisted. He tried jumping up and down on it. Then poking it fast. Same thing. Maybe if he went just a little faster… His hands sped up until they were a blur. Then finally, he had a tiny button-sized piece of fabric sitting on the floor.

Wally sighed, dusting off his hands, and looked down at his handiwork with relief. He'd even managed to get the lightning bolts squashed flat-no easy feat.

But as he watched the red disc sitting on the wooden floorboards, it quivered, ever so slightly. Wally took a step back.

"Oh no…"

That was as far as he got. The costume, unhappy at being scrunched up, escaped, flipping open violently and catching him full around the face even as he backed up. The arms and legs whipped around him like a bola, and Wally yelped as he was flogged by his own costume.

Unbalanced, blinded, and arms windmilling, Wally sat down in a thump on the floor, dislodging the costume. "Owww," he muttered, gingerly rubbing his butt from where it had hit the unyielding floorboards. He glared at the now quiescent piece of fabric lying on the floor. "Yeah, that's right. You just stay there and do as you're told!"

In the kerfuffle, the ring—into which he was trying to cram this particular outfit—had been flung across the room. Wally zipped over to retrieve it, and added to the stack. The recalcitrant uniform was also scooped up and folded, ready for a new round of squashing. Wally looked across the carpet at the towering pile of red garments and groaned.

"There has got to be an easier way to do this," he moaned to no one in particular. "Glamorous secret identity, my ass!"

* * *

_Warner Brother Animation and DC own Justice League, not I._

_I hope you enjoyed this snippet, which was inspired by a scene in "Flash and Substance". If I made you smile, then it's mission accomplished :)_


	4. Puddles

_Puddles_

_The Justice League get a bit mucky during their latest super-villain battle._

* * *

Standing in the rubble that used to be an intersection, Flash reflected that he was probably not going to be that popular with the ladies today. Even if he had just helped to take down a massive sewage monster that had threatened to destroy half the city, gratitude only went so far.

Filth dripped off him, puddling at his feet in an irregular blob of unappealing goop. Heated by the summer sun that was beating down on them, the smell was indescribable. Flash gingerly swiped at residual patches of brown that clung to his uniform. This one was going in the fire for sure.

The rest of the league didn't look—or smell—that much better. Batman's black ensemble was marred by streaks of brown, although he'd done the best out of them at avoiding the streams of flying sewage that Big Bad had been flinging at them. Superman and J'onn looked as though they'd lost a paintball fight despite their impressive acrobatics during the fight. As for Hawkgirl—her hair and feathers were matted down with unthinkable things. Her 'more smashing' routine had backfired just a bit during the fight. GL was trying to get the worst of it off her; he'd shaped a massive blow-dryer and was blasting her with air. It wasn't really working and she was having to concentrate just to stay upright, leaning into the wind with her wings flying out behind her. GL finally gave up and the blow-dryer disappeared back into his ring. J'onn had just density shifted, the mess dropping away as he became transparent. Wonder Woman was busy wringing out her hair, looking like a miniature version of the blob monster they'd just fought. Flash was suddenly very glad that his costume covered most of his body. Stylish _and _functional. He grinned, preening slightly over his own cleverness.

"What on _Earth _is there to smile about?" Hawkgirl did not sound happy. She was hefting her mace, in a way that made it seem she was very willing to share her unhappiness.

The smile disappeared from Flash's face like fat on a hot griddle, but he couldn't help commenting. "Just thinking that it's a good look for you. Very punk rock."

Hawkgirl just glared at him. She looked like she'd been dipped in mud then dragged through a hedge backwards. Her hair stood up in filth-encrusted spikes and her feathers stuck out at all angles where they'd set during GL's over-enthusiastic drying. She started stalking towards Flash, mace in hand, while GL watched with an amused smile on his face.

"Enough," Batman said. He beckoned. "Superman, a hand."

Superman wrenched a fire hydrant, sending it flying. Water fountained into the air, splashing everywhere.

"Er, are you supposed to do that?" Flash worried.

Batman's eyes narrowed. Flash backed off.

Lantern shrugged. "Beats the dry cleaning bill." He dove into the stream, the water blasting him up three stories as he whooped and yelled.

Wonder Woman followed suit, gracefully stepping into the geyser. She too went flying. "I think it went up my nose," she complained from above.

Superman smiled and turned to J'onn. "You next."

J'onn held out a restraining hand. "I am already clean."

"That's not the point. It's fun. Look," the Man of Steel pointed at GL and Wonder Woman were swooping in and out of the spray. Even Batman, who was surreptitiously rinsing the worst of the muck from his cape in one of the growing puddles, didn't look as though he was scowling as much as usual. J'onn sighed, then stepped into the column of water. After a moment, Superman joined them, managing to hit GL with a face full of spray as he emerged from the fountain. GL spluttered, then retaliated by soaking Metropolis's Finest with a jet of water from a glowing, green hose.

It was just Flash and Hawkgirl. She grinned at him. It looked eerily like the predatory grin she gave him after his earlier smart comment.

"I'm going!" Flash yelled and zipped off into the water before she got any ideas about 'helping' him.

It was a bright summer's day in the city. Quiet. Peaceful. Amidst the devastation that was formerly an intersection, there were pools of water everywhere. From miniature ponds to wet patches on the asphalt, the splashes of water started at a busted up fire hydrant and somehow managed to cover the whole block in liquid. Although the rubble, fire hydrant, and crushed cars could be chalked up a recent confrontation between the Justice League and a super-villain, city officials weren't so sure about the puddles.

* * *

_Massive thanks to Darkwinter999 for beta-ing this ficlet. __Warner Brother Animation and DC own Justice League, not I._

_For the newcomers to this story, I warn you that I update this fairly erratically. Best way to keep up to date, other than keeping an eye on the list of new Justice League fics, is probably to hit the follow button. Here ends the shameless self-plug :)  
_


	5. Acidified

_This is set just after the episode, "Wild Cards", where the Justice League were disarming a bevvy of Joker's bombs hidden around Las Vegas. _

* * *

**Acidified**

.

The Justice League was sweeping the streets of Las Vegas, doing one last circuit to check for any remaining surprises that Joker and his Royal Flush Gang had left behind from his brief and disastrous stint on national television. Everyone was strung tight after the close calls that they'd all just had, but relieved as the local police took the bad guys into custody. Even better was when Hawkgirl called from the Watchtower's infirmary to let them know that Lantern would be just fine.

That was when Flash collapsed.

With a cry of pain, the speedster fell. His momentum sent him into a head-over-heels tumble until a parked car brought him to a sudden halt.

Halfway across town, the Man of Steel picked up his teammate's distress. "Flash is down," he said. "I'm on my way."

It was no sooner said than done. Superman was crouching beside the Flash who was writhing in agony on the tarmac, gripping one leg with white knuckles. A dent in the car beside him testified as to how he'd ended up on the ground.

"Flash, what happened?" Superman asked, casting around for the villains who had attacked the Flash. Whoever it was, they were lying low. They couldn't hide forever though. He focused, seeing through brick and concrete. What Flash said next caught him off guard.

"Cramp!" the speedster yelped, clutching his left calf muscle with both hands.

Cramp? Superman raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

Flash moaned again, holding on for dear life. "Does it look like I'm kidding?" he gasped.

"Let go."

"But it hurts!"

"Let go and I can help," Superman insisted.

There was a beat then Flash unlocked his fingers from his leg. Superman was there in an instant, giving a super-fast, a _Kryptonian_-fast massage to the errant muscles. Flash just yelled even louder and tried to bat his hands away. Superman stopped rubbing before Flash's hands accidentally hit his and he added fractures to the list of injuries Flash had sustained today.

"What?" the Man of Steel asked, annoyed. "I'm just trying to work the kinks out."

"Whatever you're doing hurts more than the cramp!" Flash retorted, his hands going back around his calf and moaning.

Superman paused. He wasn't sure what to do now. As a Kryptonian he didn't suffer from cramp.

There was a rustle as Batman swung down from the building above, landing beside Superman.

"What's wrong?" Batman asked, tucking his grappling hook back in his belt.

"Cramp, apparently," Superman said.

"Can I get a little help here?" Flash gasped. "Guys?"

Batman turned and walked away, leaving both Superman and Flash gaping at his back.

"Bats? Bats?" Flash called after the retreating cape. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry!"

Batman walked into the convenience store on the corner, ignoring Flash's pleas, which got more desperate. "I won't get iced mocha on the Watchtower console again, I promise! C'mon Bats!"

Whatever else Flash was about to confess to died unspoken as another muscle spasm grabbed his attention. Superman resorted to propping Flash up against a mailbox and trying to make him comfortable. "There, there," he said impotently. "I'm sure there'll be a paramedic free in a moment."

He was still patting Flash's back when a gloved hand shoved a jar under Flash's nose.

"Here."

Superman looked up to see Batman standing there, looking unimpressed. Flash took the proffered jar and studied it.

"Pickles?" Flash sounded as perplexed as Superman felt. Both of them stared at Batman.

"Drink it."

Flash protested. "But—"

Batman didn't waver. "Drink."

Flash yelped, dropping the jar, and grabbed at his calf muscle again.

Superman caught the glass container before it could shatter on the ground, and held it up to the light. Various sausage-shaped things floated around in a greenish liquid. He twisted the lid off, took a whiff, and recoiled. It smelt of vinegar and other unsavoury things. He held it up in front of Flash.

"Just drink it, Flash," Superman insisted. "It can't be any worse than the cramps."

Flash gave him a 'are you crazy' look, but took the jar, downing the liquid in several gulps. "Yeeercchhh!"

Superman smothered his amusement at the face Flash pulled. It wouldn't do to take pleasure in a teammate's discomfort.

The look of disgust on Flash's face melted away, leaving one of delight.

"Hey! It works!" Flash crowed.

He was on his feet in a, well, flash. He zipped off in a red blur, leaving Batman and Superman's capes ruffling in the breeze. Then he was back, a grin from ear to ear.

"Thanks Bats! Up high!" Flash held his hand up for a high-five, but Batman didn't move a muscle. Flash's smile wilted a few degrees and he quickly turned the gesture into a self-conscious wave.

"So you're fine now?" Superman asked, his brow wrinkled.

Flash nodded, jogging on the spot in exaggerated slow motion. "Good as new. Well, I'd better get moving." And like that, he was gone.

Superman turned to Batman. "That was impressive. But pickle juice?"

"High in sodium, magnesium, and other electrolytes," the dark knight explained. "Instant anti-cramp."

"I'm not sure I want to know just how you know that," Superman murmured.

"Alfred."

"Ah, the tyranny of the hired help." Superman commented.

Batman grunted as he aimed his grapple gun and fired at a ledge above them. As he was about to swing away, he looked back at the Man of Steel.

"Just be glad you've never tried his hangover cure."

* * *

_A/N: I've no idea if Superman actually can get cramp, but I figure that as a human, Flash must suffer from some mean cramps when he overextends himself. Add to that idea the prompt, 'pickle juice', and voilà!_


	6. Instant Karma

_Instant Karma_

_During "It's Only a Dream", Doctor Destiny traps Flash in his worst nightmare - he's stuck in high gear, watching the world stand still. _

_Even after they are back on the Watchtower, Flash is troubled so Superman gets involved.  
_

* * *

John Dee, the self-proclaimed Doctor Destiny, had been locked away again, and everyone was safe. Rested even, with the one exception. Even the Bat couldn't go without sleep indefinitely. He was still snoring away, although Superman had since moved him from the chair to a bed.

J'onn, GL, and Hawkgirl were finishing up in the infirmary – J'onn wanted to double-check she hadn't sprained anything before he gave her the all-clear. Superman and Flash were left to set up the Watchtower for remote monitoring – everyone needed a break, but trouble never sleeps. Flash zipped off to the cafeteria for a triple mocha frappuccino, ostensibly to calm himself down. Superman shook his head, amused. Caffeine as a sedative, only the Flash would have a quirk like that.

When Flash didn't show up a few moments later, Superman went looking for him. He'd sensed that the speedster was more troubled by the incident than he was letting on, and now that Hawkgirl was safe... Well, it gave a man time to mull things over. Superman knew just how that felt.

He went into the cafeteria to find Flash was sitting at one of the tables, staring gloomily at two of his whipped cream and coffee confections. The cup in front of him was only half-empty and the other was still full. That in itself was a sign that something wasn't right.

"You look down," Superman said. May as well start with the obvious.

Flash toyed with the straw of his mocha. "Sort of."

Superman just waited. He knew that Flash would fill the silence eventually, and if not, he knew that he was more patient than the speedster.

"It's like he took everything I've ever been scared of and made it real. My nightmare almost trapped you all forever – I could've killed all of you." Flash looked uncharacteristically grim, lips pressed together tightly.

Superman didn't need J'onn's psychic ability to know that even though Flash was awake, he was still trapped by the fear and self-doubt that Dee's machinations had planted in him. "Well you didn't," he said firmly. "And beating yourself up about it isn't going to help." He grinned, inviting Flash to join in, but the other man remained glum.

"You don't know what it's like."

"Yes, I do," Superman said calmly. "In my dream, my powers went out of control one by one, until I had destroyed everything and everyone I ever cared about."

Flash wasn't about to budge, still fiddling with the straw on his drink. "It was my stupid dream that almost got us all stuck."

"And you were the one that got us out of it," Superman countered. "All by yourself. I needed J'onn to rescue me."

A small smile crossed Flash's face. "I guess I did." He slurped noisily from his cup and shot a sly glance at Superman. "So I guess you could say that I'm stronger than the Man of Steel, huh?"

Superman crossed his arms. "Don't get cocky."

There was a loud _sluurrp!_ as Flash drained the last of his frappa-mocha-thingy-cinno. Superman winced. There were times when having superhuman hearing wasn't a good thing.

"So what happened to Dee?" Flash asked.

"Batman said he got himself with a syringe full of sedative. He's catatonic, locked in a dream world. The doctors don't know if he'll ever come out of it, and if he does, well, he's added homicide to his rap sheet. He won't be getting out of jail anytime soon."

Flash pushed the empty cup to one side and made a start on the second. "Instant karma, huh?"

"Something like that."

Another _sluurrp!_ indicated the demise of the second mocha. Flash whizzed off and back, leaving the lid of the bin rattling in his wake. The cups were gone. "All done!" he announced. "Hey Supes, are we going to sit around talking all night or are we going to finish this monitor thing?"

* * *

_Big thanks to DarkWinter999 for beta-ing this ficlet. _

_A/N: On an unrelated note, these ficlets are named for the prompts that gave them life. As you can see, I often manage to warp the prompt into all sorts of impossible Moebius curves! :)_

_____A/N (6 July): I apologise for leaving you in the lurch, dear reader, but this story is going to be on hiatus for a few months. There are more details on my profile page, and I apologise again for leaving the story hanging. I hope to have the next update up sometime in Sept._


End file.
